Worth the Pain
by SugarGlazed
Summary: A nervous wreck, Namie goes to Genos for comfort.


Fat, warm tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, but Namie tried to silence her loud cries, so not to alert Genos. She peered into the living room through the window in the kitchen, pleased to see that neither he or Saitama had moved – the latter too immersed in a video game he may or may not have revealed to King that he had borrowed. A humorous smile tugged at her lips, adoring the sight of Genos scribbling away so forcefully at his diary.

Though, it faded just as quickly as it came.

Seeing him like this – determined and full of life – made Namie happy, but in light of this morning, all the pessimistic brunette could manage was a fleeting smile. Her mind was too conflicted to ignore the details brought to her attention.

She had offered to make dinner – Oyakodon – to keep herself occupied, but even this was difficult. Not wanting to concern her two neighbors, she returned to the task at hand; cutting onions.

"Is something wrong?"

Namie squeaked in fear. Shooting a glare at Genos, who had somehow quietly snuck up on her – probably while her thoughts were running wild – she had every intention to scold him, but upon seeing his brows knitted in concern, she instead laughed it off.

"Wrong? Nothing is wrong," she replied with a fake smile. _Other than you about giving me a heart attack._

"Then why are you crying?"

Genos reached out and touched her face, smearing away the salty liquid to emphasize his concern. Her lavender eyes, usually so active, were now lackluster and red.

Making up something, the lying teen pointed at the cutting board on the counter. "Onions … they get me every time."

Whether he believed her or not, she didn't know.

He gently took her by the shoulders and led her away from them. "Allow me. The vapors will not irritate my eyes."

Namie handed him the knife, leaning in close to give him a brief kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Genos." She was a little concerned that he'd see through her lie now that her scapegoat was gone, but she had more control over her emotions now that the blond cyborg was near, so long as he didn't ask too many questions.

"I am only looking out for you," he replied, giving her a quick look. A smile was on her face, but with her eyes so dark, the expression did not flattered her at all. "Are you certain that nothing is troubling you?"

She replied with a soft yes, regulating the heat on the stove. The spices all mixed together smelled so delicious. "I'll be so happy when this is done. The shift I pulled exhausted me."

"Do you plan on resting once you have eaten?"

Again, the brunette replied in agreement. She leaned against the counter and watched Genos swiftly cut up the remaining vegetables for the soup. Tears blurred her eyes.

"You were nose deep in your notebook again. What were you writing about?"

Namie attempted to lead her thoughts off course by changing the subject, hoping that her cybernetic boyfriend would bite. She surely couldn't blame the onions for her sudden lapse.

"I was recording Master's lifestyle, seeking for a solution to his strength, but I am unable to see how video games can make one stronger, so I dismissed it as a possible result."

"Probably for the best," Namie stated. "I doubt this will help much, but video games do have some positive qualities. They encourage teamwork and can help one maintain a good level of accuracy in terms of decision making – just to name a few."

_Though I doubt Saitama benefits from any of that, _she opted not to say. He was a button pusher; no real talent.

Genos looked at the withdrawn teen and laid down the knife. He'd normally take out his notebook and put pen to paper – the statistics she gave him was golden – but something about her tone concerned him. It was dull, not energetic like normal. The blond had a hunch that she was lying – now he knew.

"Namie … come here."

She gave him a curious look, but did as he instructed. His arms circled around her back; careful not to catch her brown hair between the plates in his armor. Namie leaned her cheek against his chest and squeezed him, amused by this display of affection.

"You're too sweet," she laughed. Her heart filled with sorrow; she wanted this to continue.

Leaning back, she looked into his yellow eyes – black sclera making them pop in a stunning way. Her own blurred with tears. Forcing down her lips, Namie tried to hold in a sob.

"Do not hold it back. If you must cry, then do. I will never judge you," Genos said. His hand touched her cheek.

This was enough to push her over the edge. An uneven breath escaped her lips, and the tears poured.

"It's not fair … I can't … I can't."

She buried her face into the fabric of his sleeveless, black shirt. Her tears felt cold against her flushed cheeks.

Genos didn't understand, but he let her lean against him regardless. The loud sobs quieted down the longer she clung to him, a sentiment he would have been happy with, if not for her grief.

"Are you afraid to tell me what is wrong?"

Namie shook in disagreement. Again, she looked up into his eyes. "I just thought maybe I could ignore it – obviously not – and handle it on my own."

"Handle what? You said you could not, but I am curious as to what you mean by that."

"Sorry. I suppose I could have explained it before I broke down and wet your shirt," Namie replied.

For a fleeting moment, Genos saw the chipper brunette he knew; a gentle smile curled her lips. He watched her step back and dig through her pockets, taking out a crinkled up note.

"I got this in the mail yesterday," she explained. "You can read it."

Genos took the letter from her and carefully opened it. He skimmed down the page, coming across hateful words that he knew would upset a kind hearted person like Namie.

"Who wrote this? I can track the address and find them, if you like?"

Namie shook her head in disagreement. "There's no need. My mother wrote it. She's a tough one to please."

"That is no excuse," Genos argued. "She made you cry."

She placed her hand on his. "I know, but she's still my mother. You see … I don't want to disappoint her. She doesn't like that I moved here, and she doesn't much approve of my relationship with you. The letter was her way of guilting me to move back home."

"Home … to J-City?"

When she nodded in agreement to his question, Genos knotted his brows in confusion. He wasn't sure what this meant.

"What do you plan to do?"

Tears filled her eyes again. "I don't know. I want to make her happy; it makes me happy doing so."

"That is a lie," Genos declared. "You claim it makes you happy, but I find it hard to believe. If you want to leave, then do not makes excuses to me."

Namie bit her lip, again burying her face into his chest. She felt like a wreck. The tears had yet to stop falling. "I don't want to go. I want to stay here … with you."

He patted her back. "Then stop crying. No one is making you go."

Tilting her head, Namie kissed his neck. "Thank you. I felt so bad for wanting to stay; I thought she may think of me as a disappointment."

"It will not matter if she does. You are her daughter – your happiness should come before hers," the blond explained. His partner was the kindest person he knew. She was too nice, and more often than not, it back fired on her.

Good thing Genos was around to lighten her mood.

"Um … not to be rude, but I think something is burning."

Namie gasped in shock, taking into account Saitama's words – he stood near the window, looking into the kitchen – and dashed over to the stove to save her cooking.

The blond sighed. That was too close; he needed to have a serious talk with her mother about this.


End file.
